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Dan Peters
Sports Editor
Suburban
Journals of Chicago Inc.
Oak Park Journal
Forest Park Journal
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And the race is
on........
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
by Joe Paolella
“Three-Peat” For Benson.. Wins Third
Straight Truck Race at Milwaukee
By Dan Peters
Friday was not your typical night at the Legendary Mile in Milwaukee.
The day started under mostly sunny skies. As the race began under a
setting sunset… storm clouds gathered on the horizon. But unlike other
areas of Milwaukee, little if any rain fell at the track, it was the
lightning and electrical storm that played havoc with tonight’s race.
As the race approached lap 150, a severe storm swept the track with
dangerous lightning, forcing the track and NASCAR officials to red flag
the race and evacuate the grandstands. Even the media was told to get
indoors.
A scant 30 minutes later, the skies cleared and the race was on.
Nothing it seams would stop Johnny Benson from claiming his third
straight Milwaukee triumph under the lights.
Benson's victory from the pole position in the Bill Davis Racing Toyota
was his first of the season and 10th of his CTS career -- all coming in
the past three seasons. He entered the race leading the points and
expanded his advantage to 50 over Todd Bodine.
"It feels great," Benson said. "I could do almost anything I wanted.
That last set of tires was awesome. This is way cool. I can't believe
we won three in a row."
Benson led the final 53 laps and won by 2.5 seconds over Matt Crafton,
Rookie Landon Cassill, making his fifth start in the series, finished
third, Erik Darnell’s Roush Fenway Racing Ford was fourth and Todd
Bodine was fifth. Michael Annett, making his first start in the series,
was sixth in a Bill Davis Racing Toyota Rick Crawford rallied from
16th, the tail end of the longest line, to eighth in the
final 56 laps. Crawford's Circle Bar Racing Ford led when the caution
came out for light rain on Lap 146. On radar, it didn't
appear more precipitation was coming, and so the lead-lap trucks pitted.
Benson entered in third, took four tires and fuel, and exited in first.
Crafton, also taking four tires and fuel, maintained second and
Crawford fell to third, followed by Cassill and Darnell. However,
Crawford's truck was detected speeding and had to go to the tail
end of the longest line for the next restart.
Benson started from pole with Crawford on the outside of the front row.
Crawford jumped into the lead for the opening three laps
before Benson passed him and began pulling away during an extended
green-flag run. He had a 3.3-second advantage over Crawford after 70
laps.
Most of the field had made it through pit stops under green when the
caution came out on Lap 78. Benson had just made his stop and was
pulling out. Because of the timing of the caution, only seven trucks
remained on the lead lap.
Benson was the leader, but was in the middle of the pack with many
trucks in front on the lead lap. Crawford managed to stay in front of
Benson and regained track position when the caution came out on Lap 96.
Benson
WINS...........
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
by Dan Peters
When the race resumed 26 minutes later on Lap 155 and Benson went
unchallenged to the checkered flag in a run that was interrupted by one
caution.
“It’s a little overwhelming to win three times in a row here, it’s a
great place and it’s real close to where I grew up,” the Grand Rapids,
Mich. native stated after taking the checkered flag 2.530 seconds ahead
of second place finisher Matt Crafton. “I really like how you have to
drive here and how you slip and slide around,” Benson continued after a
dramatic event.
For safety reasons, in which the grandstands were temporarily evacuated
due to lightening in the area, the race was halted at lap
149 for 26 minutes.
“As far as the lightening, from where I was sitting it looked pretty
wild and for a while it was pretty cool there,” Benson said. “But it
was the right thing to do to stop the race as the fans are the best
here and their safety is the main concern so to stop the race and then
continue it once conditions were safe was the right thing to do."
#23 Benson
leads #14 Rick Crawford early in Race.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
by Joe Paolella
“I gave one away,” Crawford stated matter-of-factly afterwards. “It’s
my responsibility to drive the pit road speed no matter what anybody
else says on the radio. We had the truck to beat. Johnny Benson knows
it and everybody here knows it, so I just gave it away.”
#03 Chrissy
Wallace made another start at Milwaukee.. She made her debut earlier in
the year at Martinsville Speedway in March.
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
by Joe Paolella
"Really, everything I know about Milwaukee has come from my dad." (Mike
Wallace) said Chrisy. "He's talked about how the track is and what you
gotta do to get a good lap there."
2003 Winner #10
Brendan Gaughan finished 16th one lap down
© Suburban Journals of Chicago Inc.
by Joe Paolella
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